I think this is gonna be a helluva fight. I'm not about to predict anyone beating Mayweather, but this is gonna be a tough test for him.

Anyone else been watching the "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7" on HBO? Got the cameras just following these guys around. The contrast in the two fighters upbringing, background, team of handlers, and overall personal demeanor is about as opposite as you can get.

As easy as it is to be a huge fan of Floyd's skills, it's just as easy to dislike him as an individual. Brash, cocky, arrogant, incessantly telling everyone how rich and unbeatable he is. I'd love to see Hatton beat him.

Gonna be a lot of punches thrown, and me personally, I think this one is going the distance and gonna be a classic.

I've been watching 24/7 and still think there is no way Floyd loses.
Hatton seems to be a very likable guy. You have to love the fact he has open workouts for the public to check out.
Should be an exciting few rounds buy Mayweather will be too fast and probably bloody up Hatton who seems to have eyes that are already puffy and beat up on that show.

Going back, almost to the time of the Great Flood, British and American fighters have crossed the big pond known as the Atlantic Ocean to prove their superiority over one another.

The first great cross-Atlantic contest between representatives of England and the United States came back in 1860 when John C. Heenan, the American heavyweight titleholder, commuted over to England on one of those newfangled steamships to take on Britain's best, Tom Sayers, in what was called "The Great Contest."

After two hours and six minutes of gouging and mauling under the old London Prize Fight Rules, the official verdict of "Draw-37" (for the 37 rounds they had fought) was rendered with both warriors being awarded silver championship belts for their efforts.

Since the Sayers-Heenan to-do, there have been many other "great contests" between American and British fighters with the outcome more clearly defined than merely "Draw-37."

[+] EnlargeThree Lions/Getty Images

John Heenan and Tom Sayers fought for 37 rounds, only for the fight to be declared a draw.James C. Corbett solidifed his claim as "world" heavyweight champion by beating England's Charley Mitchell in 1894. Jimmy Barry won undisputed recognition as world bantamweight champion with a 20-round KO of Walter Croot in London 1896.

Britain's Ted "Kid" Lewis and American Jack Britton put on a traveling road show, fighting each other 20 times for the welterweight title in the 19-teens with the title going back and forth between the two like a shuttlecock. And Tommy Farr journeyed over to America to challenge Joe Louis for his heavyweight championship in 1937, surprising all by taking Louis the distance.

In more recent times, Sugar Ray Robinson went over to London's Earle Court in 1951 and left behind his middleweight belt in Randy Turpin's hands. Three months later, Robinson returned the favor, stopping Turpin in 10 at New York's Polo Grounds, evening the score at 1-1.

Other hands and fists across-the-water rivalries haven't been as even in their outcomes as those above, with Marvelous Marvin Hagler traveling to London in 1980 to lift the middleweight crown off the head of Brit Alan Minter in three rounds -- a result greeted by British boxing fans more schooled in the split lower lips of the East End than the stiff upper lips of Eton with flying debris, forcing Hagler to hurriedly leave the ring without his newly-won belt.

Other Brits who have finished second in hand-to-hand combat with their American counterparts include Don Cockell, who lost to Rocky Marciano; Frank Bruno, who lose to Bonecrusher Smith and Mike Tyson (twice), and even, going back to British heavyweight champion Bruce Woodcock, who came over to America to face Tami Mauriello in 1946 and, in the words of Red Smith, became known as a "horizontal British heavyweight," being cold-cocked by Mauriello in five.

There was some balancing of the ledgers along the way, such as when Freddie Mills captured the light heavyweight title from Gus Lesnevich back in 1948; Turpin the middleweight crown from Robinson in '51; Lloyd Honeyghan the welterweight version from Donald Curry in '86, and adopted son Lewis over almost any American thrown in the ring against him. More recently, Joe Calzaghe defending his super middleweight title against Jeff Lacy and Peter Manfredo, Jr.

But the hard-edged figures show a plussage in the American fighters' favor -- so much so that promoter Jack Solomons always preferred to stage international bouts with Americans coming over to London to challenge any Brit who, in Solomon's own words, "had the slightest chance of winning."

Now the British fight fans believe they have just the right fighter in Ricky Hatton, who possesses more than just "the slightest chance of wnning." They believe he's got a "bloody" good chance of upsetting the proverbial apple cart in beating Mayweather and winning this latest edition of "The Greatest Contest" between Americans and British champions.

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

MANCHESTER, England -- I'd read about the eating habits of junior welterweight champion Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton: the Double Whoppers and Indian curries, the french fries and pepperoni pizzas, the Peking duck and KFC. I've heard the nicknames: the Unfitman, Ricky Fatton. But it's hard to believe that Hatton, undefeated in 43 professional bouts, The Ring magazine's 2005 Fighter of the Year, is really, well, a lardo.

So I'm in a stuffy gym in Denton, a suburb of Manchester, England, to see for myself if the tabloid headlines about Hatton's excesses are true.

I'm not alone on this late-October day. More than two dozen fans (including, of all people, the Undertaker, of WWE fame) are gathered ringside as Hatton and trainer Billy "The Preacher" Graham strap up for pad work. They're prepping for the biggest fight of Hatton's life, a Dec. 8 pay-per-view bout with reigning pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

They go to work. Hatton stalks and pounces. Thwack! He springs forward and uncorks his trademark left-hook, straight-right combo. Thwackthwack!

"Think Floyd Mayweather can move this fast?" Graham yells to no one in particular.

I don't see a fat man. Sure, a beer belly might lurk beneath the heavy rubber sweat suit. But the fighter I'm watching deftly cuts off the ring, attacks quickly, then zips back before the counter can come. No way he could be the 5-foot-6 fighter who balloons from 140 or 147 to a postfight weight of 185.

The bell sounds. A breather. "Atta boy, Ric-ky!" screams a pimply-faced teenager with a cutting Manchester accent. "You can do it!"

Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage/Getty Images

Ricky Hatton wasn't exactly looking in top-flight shape when his fight with Floyd Mayweather was first announced on Sept. 19.Most fight camps are notoriously private, but Hatton prefers an open house. Friends, family, strangers -- everyone is welcome. Hatton stops pacing long enough for Graham to pour water into his mouth from a bottle. But instead of swallowing it, the fighter winks at a redheaded kid standing ringside, then leans over the ropes and spits a stream of water at the back of a bystander -- a British boxing commissioner. The crowd howls.

Later, when Hatton finishes sparring, I wander off to look at the photos taped to the gym's back wall. Hatton fighting as an amateur. Hatton dressed as a Spice Girl. But one picture stands out. The man's face is pasty and bloated, like a sculptor's half-finished marble bust. On his head sits a gold, cardboard crown. Below, his wide-open mouth devours a Whopper. A message is scrawled across the top in black marker: "I am bigger, fatter and more round than ever, and it's all thanks to Burger King."

I recognize the face. It's the junior welterweight champion of the world, Ricky Fatton.

The Brooklands Hotel in Barnsley, once a booming coal-mining town an hour northeast of Manchester, has about as much charm as the Bates Motel. Which is why it's perfect for this Friday night event called an Evening With Ricky Hatton.

The fighter, dressed in black pants and shirt, shares the VIP table in the banquet room with former super middleweight champs Steve Collins and Richie Woodhall. Surrounding them are more than 300 friends and fans who have paid 65 pounds (about $135) for a meal (but no drinks), a charity auction and the chance to have photos taken with three fight stars in England.

For the past hour, Hatton has been watching everyone around him eat. He'd love a taste of the soup (cream of vegetable) or a bite of the chicken Diane (seared chicken breast with a mustard, brandy and mushroom cream sauce) or a nibble of the dessert (jam sponge with custard). But the champ is six weeks into his prefight training regimen, so he sticks with coffee and chewing gum.

Hatton might be the only one here watching his figure, but he's certainly not the only athlete for whom counting calories is a way of life. To varying degrees, wrestlers, gymnasts, runners, figure skaters and many other jocks monitor their weight as if their careers depended on it, which they often do. Not all cut 40 pounds before every competition, but most have spent nights watching others eat.

As the plates are cleared, a voice booms over the microphone: "Ladies and gentlemen, Ric-ky Hat-ton!" The rough-and-tumble crowd jumps to its feet and cheers. Hatton walks to the podium, grabs the mike and waves. A group at a table in the back breaks out into a version of "Winter Wonderland": "Walk-ing in a Hat-ton Wonderland!"

"Nice to be entertaining an audience without someone trying to smash me teeth in," Hatton says jovially. "I like spending time here at the top table with Stevie and Richie. A pleasure listening to 'em eat for the last hour."

Ricky Hatton, comedian? Believe it. What follows is a 45-minute stand-up act that's not only well-timed and funny, but completely unexpected from a fighter whose ring name is the Hitman. He riffs on his weight, Manchester United (he supports rival Manchester City) and women. But the central theme is a humorous, heartfelt summary of his life.

On his upbringing in the Hattersley council estate, a government-subsidized housing project east of Manchester: "A fine place to grow up. Home to two of England's most famous serial killers!"

On his father, Ray, a former fullback for Manchester City: "I don't know how my father ever produced a world-class athlete. He's about 4-foot-7. He looks like he just hopped off a key ring."

On his mother, Carol, who helped Ray run the family's pub in Hattersley: "I love her more than anyone on this earth. But she's a monster. When she walks in the kitchen in the morning, the Rice Krispies don't say, 'Snap, crackle, pop.' They say, 'Shut the [hell] up! She's coming!'"

On his weight: "My trainer once told me to use the rowing machine to get in shape. I got on it, and it sank."

The routine ends with standing ovation. I turn to Collins and say, "He could work in Vegas."

Long-term harm in ballooning up, then flash-cutting weightFour potential problems Organ damage -- starving the body of water and nutrients can lead to liver, pancreas, kidney and gallbladder damage, as well as heart failure. Bone degeneration -- with severe and repeated dehydration, bones become brittle and arthritic, leading to fractures and joint deterioration. Weight gain -- when a person consumes a lot of calories and then diets, the body learns to horde food as stored fat. This can cause irreversible metabolic change and may lead to extreme weight gain later. Brain damage -- dehydration decreases oxygen and blood flow to the brain. This can lead to brain damage, strokes, aneurysms and death. Collins replies, "He does work in Vegas."

So he does. It was in Nevada, in June, that Hatton beat Mexican tough man Jose Luis Castillo at 140 pounds and put himself first in line to face Mayweather at 147. Hatton earned $2.5 million for that fight (he'll draw up to $10 million against Mayweather), but his performance was more impressive than the money. Hatton assaulted Castillo with relentless pressure, aggressive infighting and a brutal body attack. The fight ended in the fourth, when a left hook to the liver knocked out Castillo.

While the Castillo bout was Hatton's biggest payday, his June 2005 upset of Kostya Tszyu was his most significant win. For nearly a decade, the heavy-fisted Tszyu totally dominated the light welterweight division. Few gave Hatton a chance. So when Tszyu refused to answer the bell for the 12th round, the Hitman instantly replaced Tszyu as the 140-pound king. Still, despite the titles, the perfect record and the tough man reputation, the Hitman remained overshadowed by the Fat Man.

Fame has been a blessing and a curse for Hatton. Early in his pro career, while fighting as many as eight times a year, he was too busy boxing and training to pack on pounds. But in 2000, Hatton's life -- and waistline -- changed dramatically. After he beat Jon Thaxton for the British junior welterweight title, Hatton became a legitimate star. That meant bigger -- and fewer -- fights, leaving plenty of time to indulge his inner glutton. "Takeaways [takeout in the U.S.] are his middle name," says Kerry Kayes, who has been Hatton's nutritionist and strength trainer for seven years. "If you drive down Market Street with Ricky, it's like going on one of those Hollywood tours. But instead of actors' homes, he tells you about all the takeaway places -- 'That's a good one,' 'That one's open all night.'"

Hatton's weight has become such a national joke that Holland's Pies, a large English pastry company, has given Hatton a lifetime supply of its wares. And in August, when Hatton attended a Manchester City home friendly against Valencia, the crowd serenaded him affectionately with "You fat bastard, you fat bastard, you ate all the pies," a famous soccer chant. Hatton laughed, stood and raised his arms in salute to the crowd.

All in good fun, but Hatton doesn't joke around about the other side of his weight issue: losing it. He's been spot-on at the weigh-in for every one of his fights, and he's never needed a frantic last-hour run to hit his number. He's rarely appeared weak or depleted in the ring, has always shown up with knockout power and -- hello -- he's never lost.

Yes, Hatton knows he should regulate his weight between fights, knows it's not healthy to balloon and shrink, knows it will shorten his career. And his training team is not shy with dieting advice. Says Graham: "I talk to him until I'm blue in the face. But it's like pissing in the wind."

In fact, Hatton claims that an unhealthy body equals a happy and healthy mind. He says he needs the release from the pressure of training and fighting, needs his friends, family, food and fun. Maintaining his weight year-round, like Mayweather does, could even cost him his title. "I know that not drinking and laying off fatty foods is better," he says, "but I'd burn out. Besides, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

And no one will ever accuse Ricky Hatton of being dull. Just ask the regulars at the New Inn in Hattersley, his parents' former pub and still one of his favorite places to go "on the drink." This is one of the spots where Hatton hangs when he's not prepping for a fight -- playing darts, singing "Suspicious Minds" on karaoke night, telling jokes or drinking pints of Guinness with the welders, mailmen and carpet fitters who have remained his closest friends.

"He's still just one of the lads," says Wesley Behan, a friend since primary school.

Hatton could hardly be blamed if he traded his blue-collar past for a new life of fame and wealth. He's certainly had opportunities. Following the Tszyu fight, for example, he was the toast of the British Isles. "I was offered fancy hotel suites, exclusive dinners, entertainment," Hatton says. "I said, 'Thank you, but it's not really me.'"

Instead, he continued his postfight tradition of "S--- Shirt Day." Rules? He and his Hattersley mates dig up their tackiest, most embarrassing shirts, meet at the New Inn and start drinking.

Sometime later that night, they vote for the ugliest shirt. The prize? "The owner gets his picture taken and put on the New Inn wall," Behan says.

A silly game, sure, but a perfect example of why Hatton is a folk hero in England. He might be friendly with Man U striker Wayne Rooney, who carried his belt into the ring before the Castillo fight, but that's because Rooney is another famous working-class star. Hatton still lives with girlfriend Jennifer Dooley (they met in primary school), in a modest four-bedroom house in the hamlet of Gee Cross, around the corner from his parents. He enters the ring to "Blue Moon," the Man City team song. His best friend is younger brother Matthew, also a pro fighter. Other English athletes are more famous, but few are as beloved as the Fat Man.

Back at the gym, I'm one of three dozen onlookers watching another Hatton training session. Among the fans: a group of teenage boys, a woman in a clingy shirt taking pictures with her cell phone and a couple with two toddlers. In the ring, Hatton throws combinations, sweat dripping from his forehead and the ankle cuffs of his sauna suit. Ricky Fatton continues to disappear, drop by drop, pound by pound. He's down to 157, right on schedule.

After a few rounds of pads, Hatton steps out of the ring and takes off his top. I stare for a moment, making sure that what I see, and don't see, is true. I don't see love handles or a beer belly. Instead, a six-pack emerges from beneath the translucent skin of his abdomen, and hints of cheekbones peek out from his face. Suddenly, the Hitman breaks into a Chaka Khan song. He does a little dance, then steps to the heavy bag and begins banging away.

The Fat Man has left the building.

Denton is the town next to my hometown of Audenshaw

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

They are being called the "Magnificent Seven" -- David Haye, Enzo Maccarinelli, Clinton Woods, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Junior Witter and Gavin Rees -- and, collectively, they are responsible for a renaissance in British boxing.

"I don't remember British boxing enjoying a better time than this," Hatton suggested last week in the Betta Bodies Gym, a converted cotton factory on the outskirts of Manchester where he trains. "It's absolutely mind-blowing."

He is not wrong.

Of the 68 alphabet titles awarded by the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO, only 13 are currently held by American boxers, yet the small Welsh town of Newbridge (with a population of 9,000) is home to four: Calzaghe's WBO, WBC and WBA belts at super middleweight and Gavin Rees' WBA junior welterweight strap.

Maccarinelli, from nearby Swansea but also trained by Enzo Calzaghe, Joe's father, holds the WBO cruiserweight title, so he is almost an honorary Newbridge man.

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Simon Dawson

With treacherous speed and power in both fists, Junior Witter, right, is one of boxing's most avoided fighters.Elsewhere in Britain, South London's Haye won the WBA and WBC cruiserweight belts when he stopped Frenchman Jean-Marc Mormeck on Nov. 10 in Paris. Woods, of Sheffield, England, is the IBF light heavyweight titleholder and Witter, of Bradford, England, holds the WBC junior welterweight trinket, bringing the grand total to nine alphabet belts now held by British boxers.

The roll of honor does not end there. Hatton is recognized by The Ring Magazine as junior welterweight champion of the world while Haye and Calzaghe are The Ring cruiserweight and super middleweight champions respectively. Of the nine boxers who are currently in possession of The Ring's prized belts, three are British, three are American, two are Mexican and one is Cuban. Never before has British boxing been dominant to this degree.

In the poll for Sports Personality of the Year, which will be decided by the British public on Dec. 9 in a live broadcast by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hatton and Calzaghe are running second and third favorites with bookmakers behind Formula One racing driver Lewis Hamilton.

"There's a feel-good factor about British boxing at the moment, a renaissance, call it what you will," agreed Frank Warren, Britain's foremost promoter of fights for the past 25 years.

"Hatton and Floyd Mayweather will fight next month in Las Vegas and we've just had 50,150 people at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff to watch a fight between Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler, which began at 1:30 a.m. local time to satisfy the American TV audience. Prince Charles presented a Lonsdale belt to Joe recently, in recognition of a lifetime of achievement in the sport, and Sir Henry Cooper, the first knight of British boxing, declared that Joe should be knighted, too, with which I agree because he's been brilliant for the sport and he's a perfect role model.

But the situation overall is very positive right now for British boxing and coverage in the press here and on TV over the past couple of months, in particular, has reflected this. Outside of football [Britain's national sport] boxing has been featured more prominently than most other major sports."

John Gichigi/Getty Images

Look out, Joe Calzaghe! Undefeated Carl Froch is another super middleweight looking to make noise on the world stage.An 11-page feature story on Hatton, which ran in the Sunday Times magazine last weekend, was just the latest example of the revival of mainstream interest in boxing in Britain. Only three years ago the sport appeared to be undergoing something of a lull. Lennox Lewis had abdicated his position as ruler of the heavyweight division, Calzaghe was pulling out of a scheduled fight with Glen Johnson at light heavyweight because of a back injury -- and had still to meet Jeff Lacy in a defining encounter -- and Hatton had agreed to an Oct. 2 date with Vivian Harris, only for the bout to fall through. He, too, was a year away from the zenith of his career, an 11th-round TKO of dominant junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu.

Young, emerging talent was not immediately evident either, but now British boxing has high hopes for 2004 Olympic silver medalist Amir Khan, 23-year-old Kevin Mitchell -- who will challenge for the British super featherweight title next month -- and John Murray and Derry Matthews, the recipients in 2006 and 2007 of the British Boxing Writers' Young Boxer of the Year award. Nottingham super middleweight Carl Froch and Edinburgh's Alex Arthur, the WBO interim super featherweight titleholder, are on the brink of breaking through, too, at the top level.

In the 1970s Britain was able to boast of fighters like Kenny Buchanan, who held the world lightweight title from 1970 to 1972 when Roberto Duran beat him at Madison Square Garden. John Conteh was WBC light heavyweight titleholder from 1974 to 1978 and John H. Stracey defeated the great Jose Napoles to win the WBC welterweight title in 1975.

"It's much different now. Boxing in this country is in a much healthier state because, apart from the very top guys, hardly anyone was making money back then, not even Joe Calzaghe," reflected Robert McCracken, the Birmingham boxer-turned-trainer who went unbeaten through the whole of the 1990s only to drop a decision to American Keith Holmes in a middleweight title challenge in April 2000. "Joe turned pro two years after me and he's just boxed in front of 50,000 people. But in 1996 we fought separate 10-rounders on a Mickey Duff show at the Star Leisure Centre in Cardiff. It wasn't on TV, there were no more than 300 people in the arena, I brought 150 of them and Joe would tell you this himself. I was paid £7,500 [roughly $15,400] and I bet you Joe got the same. That's how it was back then.

"Opportunity is the key and today, with fewer Americans dominating and boxing having really become a more international sport, there are more opportunities for British fighters and they're taking full advantage. I didn't fight in the black-and-white TV days but sometimes it seems like I did because it's all more colorful now. You just didn't get a look-in when I was boxing in the mid-1990s. Even when I became mandatory challenger for the WBC title, I had to wait 18 months for my shot and I'd outgrown the division. Richie Woodhall had to wait two years to get a crack at Holmes when he'd worked his way into the No.1 position. The odd fighter came through at world level like Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, but when I think of professional boxing in those days -- and I fought at a high level -- it was mostly a grind and a slog. The bright lights and big crowds weren't even a thought."

When Cooper recently named his Top 10 British boxers of all-time, Hall of Famers Ted "Kid" Lewis and Jimmy Wilde were first and second. Calzaghe and Hatton were third and sixth respectively. The bell which, some observers would have it, was tolling the 10-count over British boxing not long ago, could be ringing in some of the best of times

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

I won't be surprised, not for a second, if Hatton eventually takes PBF apart and wins the fight. In fact, if I had to pontificate today I might go with Hatton, but I'll wait until after the weigh in to give my official prediction.

A lot of boxing insiders feel that this is a very dangerous and bad opponent of PBF but are trepid about predicting Hatton to win.

I see Hatton more as a Judah with stamina, and not a De La Hoya w/o power (comparisions from the media)...if I'm right it's going to be a great fight.

Swerb wrote:Part of me loves the guy and knows that we are seeing one of the greatest pound for pound fighters in boxing history.

Part of me wants to see the look on his face after getting beat.

There is nothing not to like about Hatton, the "24/7" show he and Floyd did was excellent. Hatton is a true peoples champ. As much of a regular guy as a 43-0 world class prize fighter can be.

I can't wait for this one tonight.

Kelly Pavlik is pretty much the same type of guy as Hatton. Blue collar fella from a tough town. I see him every now and again around town just hangin out like a regular Joe. He just hasn't let his success change who he is.

FightDr wrote:Outclassed.The no class fans deserve to see their boy knocked the fuck out.Booing our anthem?Clowns.

Yeah man. After hearing those fucks boo our national anthem my heart rate went through the roof. I had that same feeling of pride watching Floyd walk to the ring as I do when the Bucks take the field against Mich. Then some ignorant prick at the bar was running his mouth and rooting for Hatton in spite of the disrespect from his followers. Then after about 3 rounds, "Money" settled in and proved to the world what he already knew...Hatton wasn't on his level.

Mayweather entering the ring to "Born in the USA" was F'ING AWESOME! I had some friends watching the fight that were indifferent or maybe even a little anti-Mayweather, but after the whole anthem-entrance thing, everyone rallied around Mayweather.

I'm tellin you guys who watched the fight from your own home...I'm not a big fan of watching sporting events in sports bars, but tonight's fight made for a pretty damn exciting atmosphere.

Mayweather should stay retired. The guy has nothing to prove. He is one of the absolute best pound for pound fighters EVER.

FightDr wrote:Outclassed.The no class fans deserve to see their boy knocked the fuck out.Booing our anthem?Clowns.

Yeah man. After hearing those fucks boo our national anthem my heart rate went through the roof. I had that same feeling of pride watching Floyd walk to the ring as I do when the Bucks take the field against Mich. Then some ignorant prick at the bar was running his mouth and rooting for Hatton in spite of the disrespect from his followers. .

Its not Hattons fault or the guy at the bar's some drunken fools were booing

Hatton would be the first to condemn it.

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

FightDr wrote:Outclassed.The no class fans deserve to see their boy knocked the fuck out.Booing our anthem?Clowns.

Yeah man. After hearing those fucks boo our national anthem my heart rate went through the roof. I had that same feeling of pride watching Floyd walk to the ring as I do when the Bucks take the field against Mich. Then some ignorant prick at the bar was running his mouth and rooting for Hatton in spite of the disrespect from his followers. .

Its not Hattons fault or the guy at the bar's some drunken fools were booing

Hatton would be the first to condemn it.

You're right, it's not Hatton's fault, but it still pissed me off. Soccer hooligans should not attend boxing matches.

Mayweather vs Cotto does need to happen but I have a feeling it won't.
Mayweather seemed to be content for awhile.
Cotto, Paul Williams, and Margarito might have what it takes to beat Mayweather one day.
It should be interesting the next few months in that division.

Know two guys that were at the fight and they said the crowd was definitely as the fight wore on divided by the country allegiances. Disrespecting the national anthem was a classless move and it all came out in the wash so to speak or on the canvas.

First off I'm over joyed to find that this site has a boxing and MMA forum.

Anyway I belive that Hatton will now go back down to Jr. welter weight, and stay there. He looked sub par in both of his fights at welter. He will most likely win a few more titles at Jr. welter, but he will retire in about three to four more fights.

As for Mayweather I belive that Saturday night he proved that he is the greatest boxer of this generation and possibly all time.

He has won belts in every weight division he has fought in. He fought just about everyone who is anybody in his career, and he beat them all. Floyd is doing the right thing getting out now. He has made his money and there is nobody left that will bring him the kind of money he deserves for a PPV.

I can however see him coming back in a couple of years if Cotto keeps up his winning ways, or even to fight Chavez Jr. Until they get more drawing power he will hang it up for now, but I have a feeling we will see him come back at least once more if one of the newer guys can prove himself.

First off, I have to admit that I was surprised by the result of this fight...not that Mayweather won, but the knockout and the complete superiority that he demonstrated over Hatton. I thought that Hatton would at least have the advantage in the power punching statistics and the physical aspects of the fight.

I think it was the 6th round that Floyd landed something like 11 of 14 jabs (it seemed like 14 of 14) and each one stung Hatton in picture book fashion. I knew at the end of that round the fight was essentially over even though the scoring was probably still pretty close. Floyd was definitely on game Saturday night. I'm not sure if he's ever looked better which is fascinating (and scary) considering technically he came out of retirement for this fight and the whole DWTS distraction.

As far as the fans booing the National Anthem, I didn't like it, but it didn't surprise me considering the source (no offense Danny Crisp). There's nothing like a week long bender in Vegas to bring out the worst in people. I'm sure they got their comeuppance in the casinos and will be skipping back over the pond a little lighter in wallet for their effort. The thing that really bothered me regarding the UK fans though, and nobody has mentioned it yet, is how complementary Mayweather was toward them in his post fight interview with Larry Merchant. He went out of his way to complement them for being the best fight fans around. Loudest-possibly, Most Obnoxious-right at the top, Drunkest-clearly, Best-I'm not buying it.

I think Floyd was just happy to have an atmosphere, that they were booing him and or the USA did not matter. The atmosphere of big American fights usually suck because hardly anyone but the upper class go to them.

Also I belive Floyd really appreciated all the extra PPV buys they brought in. I would guess half of britain watched that fight.

Yeah, not only does FLoyd like playing the villain, but he had to have cashed in like crazy off the PPV buys across the pond.

On Hatton, I agree. He's a different fighter at 140 and in addition to Jr Welter being a better class for him, there's much much less competition.

I disagree with The Fight Dr on Hatton being an average fighter and a bad boxer. I don't think theres anyone at 140 that's definitively better than him, and I'd much rather watch a guy with his style than some stiff like Casamayor who tries to dance around you, outpoint you, and not get hit.

I hope Hatton stays in the US and helps elevate the pack of contenders a 140.

My guess is that he will. American fight fans are now very familiar with him after the "24/7" show and all the hype leading up to this fight. Despite the anthem fiasco, there's a lot to like about Ricky.

My guess is that he'll sign a three fight deal with HBO. I know Malignaggi fights on Showtime on Jan 5 ... he'd be a great next opponent for Hatton.

Quite a discrepancy right now between the guys fighting at 147 and 140 though. At 147 you have guys like Mayweather, Cotto, DeLaHoya, Mosely, P.Williams, Margarito, Judah, Cintron. 140? Not much there.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

There's always atmosphere around Mayweather and things are always entertaining with him around...in that respect he fills the void that was created after Mike Tyson's departure from serious boxing.

As far as the money and PPV buys go, Floyd's got more money than he needs or can spend and he's the first person to tell you that.

Am I the only one that sees the flaw/contradiction in playing "Born in the USA" as your walk out music then praising the greatness of UK boxing fans that just booed the National Anthem an hour earlier.

Am I the only one that sees the flaw/contradiction in playing "Born in the USA" as your walk out music then praising the greatness of UK boxing fans that just booed the National Anthem an hour earlier.

I thought Born In The USA was pretty good. I knew his walk out would be something to thumb his nose at all the crazy UK fans. Wasn't expecting Springsteen though.

Nothing will beat when he wore the Sombrero out for the DeLaHoya fight. That was hysterical.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

Him saying he loved those fans was BS.
If you watched 24/7, you saw how they dissrespected him, threw things at him, and I'm sure they launched a few dirty names his way.
They guy is an entertainer. Did you see after the fight where he just walked out of the ring and into the ppv broadcast???
Floyd is great.
I think Hatton is overrated and I'm sticking by it. I haven't seen him fight a lot but when I have, I'm not impressed. Sure he has a great record and KO percentage but has he really beat anyone really good while they were in their prime oe even close to it for that matter?